Harvard Business Publishing was challenged with running multiple database platforms. Well versed in infrastructure code to make their website perform, Harvard Business Publishing lacked database administration and architecture expertise. They needed database administration for Oracle, ISQL, Microsoft SQL and AWS Aurora.
Overview
Overview
Harvard Business Publishing is a leading provider of business education and research, offering a wide range of content and resources to executives, academics, and students worldwide. They are a subsidiary of Harvard University, known for publishing the Harvard Business Review and other influential business materials.
Well versed in infrastructure code to make their website perform, Harvard Business Publishing lacked database administration and architecture expertise. They needed database administration for Oracle, iSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and AWS Aurora.
The Challenge
Harvard Business Publishing faced the complex challenge of managing a diverse landscape of database platforms.
Bridging their database expertise gap: Harvard Business Publishing needed to address DBA resource challenges
While their team possessed strong infrastructure coding skills, enabling them to optimize website performance, they lacked the specialized expertise in database administration and architecture necessary to effectively manage their various systems. Juggling multiple database environments, including Oracle, iSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and AWS Aurora, without dedicated DBA support strained their internal resources and hindered their ability to focus on strategic initiatives.
Mitigating database risks: Performance bottlenecks, data inconsistencies, and security vulnerabilities
This lack of dedicated database administration and architecture expertise presented several key challenges.
Firstly, it made it difficult to proactively monitor and optimize database performance, potentially leading to slow response times and a degraded user experience. Secondly, it increased the risk of database failures and data loss, which could have significant business impact. Finally, managing multiple platforms without consistent best practices and architectural guidance made it harder to ensure data integrity, security, and compliance.
Harvard Business Publishing recognized the need for specialized database expertise to address these challenges and ensure the smooth and efficient operation of their critical systems.
Training the current Harvard Business Publishing team to cover database administration and architecture experience would have been a long process—time consuming and expensive to expand the team. This gap in expertise meant the business would need to allocate a significant amount of their IT budget to operational overhead.
That’s where Pythian came in.
The Solution
Pythian provided Harvard Business Publishing with a comprehensive solution to address their database management challenges.
Eliminating the DBA hiring burden: Pythian provided dedicated teams of DBA to support Harvard Business Publishing’s diverse database platforms
By partnering with Pythian, Harvard Business Publishing received a team of dedicated remote DBA teams that each specialize in the database platforms Harvard Business Publishing, including Oracle, iSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, and AWS Aurora. This eliminated the need for Harvard Business Publishing to hire and train in-house DBAs for each platform, freeing up their internal resources to focus on more strategic initiatives.
Building a data-driven future: Pythian's database expertise for reporting and innovation
Pythian's teams of DBAs took ownership of running critical business reports, ensuring timely access to essential data insights. Pythian played a proactive role in enhancing Harvard Business Publishing's data capabilities. Furthermore, Pythian architected databases to accommodate new data structures, enabling Harvard Business Publishing to adapt to evolving business needs and expand their data-driven initiatives.
Pythian has been Harvard Business Publishing’s database partner for almost 20 years
Pythian has become an extension of Harvard Business Publishing's teams, providing 24/7 support and deep database expertise. Pythian continues to ensure the smooth operation and optimal performance of Harvard Business Publishing's diverse database environment.
Business Outcomes
Saves over $100,000 each year on overhead costs
Eliminating the need to hire and train in-house DBAs for multiple database platforms significantly reduced costs for Harvard Business Publishing. Harvard Business Publishing saves hundreds of thousands of dollars per year each year by partnering with Pythian instead of hiring an internal team of DBAs. Each data platform would require three (3) full time DBAs to ensure 24/7 database support.
Harvard Business Publishing freed up their internal resources, allowing them to focus on more strategic initiatives, leading to increased overall efficiency.
Enhanced database performance and stability
With Pythian's 24/7 support and deep database expertise, Harvard Business Publishing benefited from the smooth operation and optimal performance of their diverse database environment. This long-term partnership (almost 20 years) demonstrates the value and stability Pythian provided, ensuring business continuity and minimizing the risk of database-related disruptions.
Fostered a data-driven culture
By taking ownership of running critical business reports and architecting databases for new data structures, Pythian enabled Harvard Business Publishing to access essential data insights and adapt to evolving business needs. This fostered a more data-driven culture and facilitated better decision-making.
